§ MR. BRUNNER (Cheshire, Northwich)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he can give the House any information relating to the old table lately placed in the Tea Room?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. PLUNKET, Dublin University)The table now placed in the Tea Room is the table of the House of Commons in use from the year 1706 until the fire of 1834. To meet the requirements of the Union between England and Scotland, in 1706, Sir Christopher Wren was employed to enlarge and re-construct the internal fittings and furniture by which St. Stephen's Chapel was adapted for the reception of the House of Commons, and Sir C. Wren's arrangement and fittings remained without material alteration until the burning of the Houses of Parliament. The table corresponds both in ornament and workmanship with the style which belongs to the commencement of the last century, and it can be identified with the table represented by the artist Hickel in his picture of Pitt addressing the House of Commons, presented to us by the Emperor of Austria. The table contains the recess in which the Mace was placed when the House went into Committee, and the brass sockets which receive the metal work which ran round the table where the Mace was deposited. And, to complete the authentification of the table, I may mention that one of the officials in attendance at the Office of Works assisted in dragging the table out of St. Stephen's Chapel whilst the fire of October, 1834, was proceeding. It was taken then to the Office of Works, where it remained until the other day, when I bad it brought down to this House.